Randolph Cheek
of Moore & Chatham Co., NC

Randolph or Randall Cheek, son of Richard CHEEK, Sr., & Jane
RANDLE(?), was probably born between 1730-1735 in Virginia or
North Carolina and reportedly died Feb. 1, 1816, in Chatham Co.,
NC. The name of his wife is unknown. Randolph Cheek is reportedly buried in a family cemetery on the east side of Dickerson Ford Road northwest of Glendon, Moore Co., NC, north of the Deep River, very close to the Chatham Co. line.

Jane Cheek, m. Benjamin GILBERT. They had a son, Joseph Gilbert (b. 1795, m. Polly YOUNGER), and 8 daughters. One daughter married a MARTIN, one a TEAGUE, one a CHEEK, and one an ELKINS. Most of the daughters moved west.

Notes

andall or Randolph Cheek was under 14 when his
father's will was written in 1743, but he must have been of
legal age when he appears on a tax list in 1755. Therefore, he was probably born between 1730 and 1735.

Many of the records of Moore County, NC, were destroyed in a
courthouse fire in 1889, including deed books, marriage books,
and loose estate papers. This obviously complicates genealogical research. In particular, there has been some confusion between the children of Randolph Cheek and his brother Robert Cheek, who also lived in Moore County.

According to information kindly provided by Susan West, there is a DAR application submitted in 1962 by a great-granddaughter of Anna Cheek & Thomas Parks, which refers to a petition for the settlement of the estate of Randal Cheek of Chatham Co., North Carolina. The estate file reportedly indicates that Randal Cheek "died on or about the first day of February last" (1816). Children of Randal/Randolph listed on the DAR application are John, Joab, Mary, Jane, Elizabeth, Lydia, Anna (m. Thomas PARKS). Someone in the DAR office wrote in the name Patty. Under this entire list, also added by this DAR applicant, are the words "Ref: Estate Papers of Randal/Randolph Cheek, Chatham Co., NC."

Records

1743. Beaufort Co., NC. Randolph CHEEK is named in his
father Richard CHEEK's
will, dated Sept. 29, 1743; recorded in Beaufort Co., NC,
Apr. 30, 1745. He received 200 acres of land. The will indicates
that Randolph was then under age of 14. (Will Bk. N, p.144.)

May 20, 1762. Orange Co., NC. Randolph CHEEK &
Jacob BARNS are chain carriers for a survey of Robert CHEEK's
land grant(dated Dec. 8, 1762), 241 acres in Orange County on the
waters of Tice's (Tyson's) Creek of Deep River, joining
the County line. Wits: James WATSON, Joseph FOOSHE.

May 1768. Orange Co., NC. Randolph CHEEK signed a Regulator
Advertisement which complained that "We the Inhabitants of Orange County pay larger Fees for recording Deeds than any of the adjacent Counties and many other Fees more than the Law allows". (Colonial Records of NC, Vol. 7, p.734.) He also fought in the Battle of Alamance, which occured on May 16, 1771. (Source: Regulator list compiled by Louise Overton)

1781. An interesting reference to the Cheeks appears in
a Revolutionary War journal kept by the soldier Sgt. William
Seymour, who served in the American army under Gen. Nathaniel
Greene. On Apr. 3, 1781, Seymour writes that Greene's army,
then en route from Chatham County, NC, to Camden, SC, made camp
at a "Mr. CHEEK's plantation." Based on Gen.
Greene's route, this must be a reference to either Randolph
CHEEK or Robert CHEEK
of Cumberland/Moore County. According to Seymour, on March 20th the
army had been at Ramsey's Mills on the Deep River (Chatham
County). On March 30th, the Horse and Infantry division marched
toward Wilcox's Iron Works to have troop horses shod. The
Wilcox Iron Works were located in the town of Gulf, on the Deep
River about 15 miles south of Ramsey's Mills. If the army
continued to follow the Deep River south, they would have easily
reached the Cheeks' property by April 3rd, when Sgt. Seymour
says that they made camp. On April 4th, 1781, Gen. Greene wrote a
letter to Gen. Francis Marion, describing his location as
"camp, Deep River". Although Gen. Greene does not
mention the Cheeks, his letter does prove that the Cheek
plantation referred to by William Seymour was on the Deep River
and not in some other location. (Sources: "Journal
of the Southern Expedition, 1780-1783" by William Seymour,
Sergeant-Major of the Delaware Regiment, printed in
Pennslyvania Magazine of History & Biography, Vol. 7
(1883), p.380, and Sketch of Life of Brig. Gen. Francis
Marion by
William D. James (1821), Appendix.)

Geographic Note: Moore County was created
from Cumberland County in 1784.

Nov. 21, 1784. Moore Co., NC. Phill CHEEK and others
ordered to work on a road from McClendon's Creek to the fork
of the road. Following day (Nov. 22, 1784), Amos CHEEK, James
CHEEK, John CHEEK and others ordered to work on a road from from
Chatham County line to the fork of the road. (Moore Co., NC,
Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions, pp. 8, 9, 17. Abstracted
by Glenda Biggerstaff.)

Note: Philip & James Cheek,
referred to in the above road order, were probably sons of Robert
Cheek. John may have been a son of Randolph Cheek. Amos
Cheek's relationship to the others is unknown but it is
possible he was another son of Randolph.

Nov. 12, 1816. Ordered that a mulatto girl, Letta, a child of Sally BREWER (alias Sally PEARCE) that was bound to Randal CHEEK in the county court of Moore County now be bound as an apprentice to Mary CHEEK, daughter of said Randal as the law directs in such cases. (Chatham Co., NC, Court Minutes.)